Pediatric Sports Medicine Program

We know young athletes require special care. Bones, muscles, and growth plates are still developing, and injuries in childhood and adolescence can have lasting effects on long-term mobility and health. At the same time, competitive youth sports put extra pressure on recovery, which makes it important to find a balance between healing and returning to play. 

The CHOC Sports Medicine Program, now part of Rady Children’s Health, offers unrivaled pediatric services for all sports-related needs. We bring together pediatric orthopedics, sports medicine, rehabilitation, and athletic training, so families have access to a coordinated team of specialists who understand both child development and athletic demands. We work one-on-one with each patient to develop a unique plan, with an emphasis on preserving future growth and function, and a safe return to play. 

Specializing in children’s sports medicine

At CHOC, your athlete is cared for by a team dedicated to pediatric sports medicine. Our program brings together sports medicine specialists, including pediatric orthopedic surgeons with advanced training in arthroscopy, youth sports doctors focused on nonsurgical care, and therapists who guide both treatment and recovery. Families also have access to CHOC physical therapy and rehabilitation, where experts support recovery and help prevent future injuries. 

Many of our team members are former Division I and Olympic athletes, giving them a unique perspective on performance and sports injury care. By working together, our youth sports medicine professionals create personalized plans that help children and teens heal, grow, and return to play safely and with confidence. 

Sports injuries and conditions we treat

We provide care for the full range of sports injuries that affect children and adolescents, from acute trauma to long-term overuse conditions: 

• Fractures and joint injuries: bone and growth plate fractures, joint dislocations, ligament sprains and tears, muscle strains and cartilage injuries. 
• Upper body injuries: shoulder, elbow, and wrist conditions such as dislocations, separations, labral tears, and “Little League” elbow or shoulder. 
• Lower body injuries: hip, leg, knee, ankle, and foot conditions, including patellar dislocations, meniscal tears, ACL/PCL tears, and hamstring or groin strains. 
• Spine injuries: neck pain, low back sprains and strains, disc herniations and stress fractures.
•  Overuse injuries: tendonitis, bursitis, growth plate injuries and rotator cuff injuries. 
• Head injuries: concussions and traumatic brain injuries. 

Our surgeons perform the latest surgical techniques, always striving to be minimally invasive and preserve growth, future function and form. We also offer comprehensive heart screenings and asthma testing.

You can learn more about sports injuries here. 

State-of-the-art sports rehabilitation

Our physical therapists develop programs that are tailored to every athlete’s needs. Through one-on-one sessions, our goal is to enhance an athlete’s performance, with an emphasis on their health and injury prevention. 

We offer physical therapy services for: 

• Management of acute and chronic athletic injuries 
• Pre- and post-surgery rehabilitation 
• Post-concussion management 
• Progressive return-to-play programs

To support recovery and performance, CHOC offers advanced rehabilitation services in a dedicated facility designed for young athletes. Our newly opened 8,000-square-foot outpatient rehabilitation center is one of the most comprehensive centers of its kind in Southern California. 

The center includes a gym designed for sports patients and state-of-the-art equipment, including the latest high-speed motion-capture system to evaluate an athlete’s movement mechanics from multiple angles simultaneously. 

Sports injury prevention

CHOC’s sports medicine team makes injury prevention a core part of care for young athletes. Our program focuses on sports injury prevention and education that helps athletes and families understand how to reduce risks during play and training. We can provide stretching and warm-up resources designed to support safe participation in sports, and our physical therapists teach children and families exercises that not only aid recovery but also help prevent future injuries. By focusing on prevention, CHOC gives young athletes the tools to stay active and confident in the sports they love. 

A safe return to play

Returning to sports takes more than waiting for an injury to heal. It requires showing that an athlete’s body is ready for the demands of practice and competition. Our team will conduct a comprehensive return-to-sport assessment, using motion-capture analysis, strength training and functional tests to demonstrate an athlete’s strength, power and motor control.

Once an athlete’s movement deficits are understood, we will create a personalized plan to return them to their desired sport as quickly and safely as possible.